1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable end connector assembly, and particularly to a high speed cable end connector assembly for use in InfiniBand(trademark) application.
2. Description of Related Art
As demands for high bandwidth and low latency in computer technology increase, the emerging InfiniBand(trademark) architecture is being developed by the information industry. InfiniBand(trademark) architecture de-couples an I/O subsystem from memory by utilizing point-to-point connections rather than a shared bus. lnfiniBand(trademark) products are ideally suited for clustering, I/O extensions, and native attachment in many network applications and can be used in high-performance server applications, providing a cost-effective transition from existing technologies.
To achieve the technology performance of the InfiniBand(trademark) architecture, an InfiniBand(trademark) product must provide a sufficiently large number of signal contacts with a fairly fine pitch for signal transmission. Thus, the InfiniBand(trademark) product has a relatively complex structure. An InfiniBand(trademark) cable end connector assembly comprises an electrical connector having a plurality of signal and grounding terminals therein, a cable having a plurality of lines, a plurality of shielding plates, a spacer to which front ends of the lines and the shielding plates are assembled, and an internal printed circuit board interconnecting the connector and the cable. Each line comprises a pair of signal conductors electrically connecting with the signal terminals of the electrical connector via the printed circuit board, and a grounding conductor being soldered with corresponding shielding plate and electrically connecting with corresponding grounding terminal via the printed circuit board. Inevitably, the existence of the internal printed circuit board and the spacer complexes the structure of the InfiniBand(trademark) cable end connector assembly and increases the manufacturing cost. This is no doubt out of the current trend.
Hence, a cable end connector assembly for InfiniBand(trademark) application with a relatively simple structure and lower manufacturing cost is required to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.
A first object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a cable end connector assembly with a relatively simple structure and a lower cost.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a cable end connector assembly having an improved terminal structure which can readily and reliably terminate conductors of a cable.
In order to achieve the objects set forth, a cable end connector assembly comprises a base, a cover fixed on the base, and a cable connector module mounted between the cover and the base. The cable connector module comprises a cable, a plurality of shielding plates, and a plurality of signal terminals. The cable comprises a plurality of lines each comprising a signal pair and a grounding conductor. The signal pair comprises a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor. The shielding plates are respectively soldered with the grounding conductors. Each of the signal pairs of the cable is located between two neighboring shielding plates. The first and second signal conductors of said leach of the signal pairs are located at an upper position and a lower position, respectively. Each signal terminal comprises a mating portion for electrically engaging with a complementary connector, and a tail portion being soldered with corresponding signal conductor. The tail portion comprises a plurality of grasping portions extending vertically therefrom and grasping the signal conductor tightly for transmitting signals reliably.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.